First week of teaching assessment: Its tiring and hot. I've become an a/c ho. I would much rather sweat while in a/c than sweat while the humidity bothers everyone in the classroom. It hasn't been a pretty sight. I can't wait till winter.

But i'm hanging in there...and that's all I can say for now. ;P

Happy Bhurday to wonderful August babies...

JP
Cyn
Jay
Tammy
Lan

AND LESTER!!!
(you really can't forget a guy who has the exact same birthday as Macaulay Culkin, especially someone who got "A full baby blue velour suit that says Pure Playaz" as a gift and would proudly sport it. lol)

sorry some of it is so late.

August babies rule the world. =D

I feel mildly lost and behind. The first day of school is tomorrow yet I have so much shit to do. Amazingly, I got a lot acomplished this morning before having lunch with family, but I still have a lot to do. aiyah. So stressed.

And yes, I'm still trying like a mofo to get my bitchy/mean/strict/authoritarian teacher personality down. Heaven help me! =P

So today we had all the freshmen and new students come for orientation and basically a run through of all their classes. Even though each class was only 10 minutes I can tell it's going to be tough. 4 of the 5 are inclusion classes and from what I'm hearing, my first period is gonna be the roughest. ack.

I really really have to be total authoritarian from the beginning...if only it was my nature to be so. *sigh* I'm so screwed.

My logic can be so messed up sometimes.

Take my stance on fairness. If I had to endure something, then I expect others to have to endure the samething, regardless. (ie, my sister). Or if I help someone out with a particular situation, then I expect them to help me out if I am in the same situation. Well, I don't necessarily expect it in the latter example, but I do hope for the same courtesy. (ie, my classroom)

Is it too much to expect a certain someone to help me out in getting a few things ready? But then of course there's the argument that he's already got his own plate full. Fine dammit. I'll go it alone on this one, like I have a choice. It just really bites is all. My classroom is empty!

Today was an oh-kay day.

I cleaned a little and covered all my bulletin boards. All black. Red borders. School colors. heh I didn't get much done though. Too many interruptions with meetings and in-service thingamajigs for new staff members. Its a little frustrating. I feel as though no matter how hard i work and no matter how much i do, I'll never be prepared enough. One teacher's room is already set up, all colorful, and she was merely sitting at her computer...updating her lessons no less. My room..well, its bare and antiseptic looking.

I'm worried. Not only because of the room, since we all know that's the last thing I should be worried about, but because of my classes. Four of the five are inclusion, meaning I'll have special ed students with an accompanying SPED teacher. Now this wouldn't be so bad, i think, but I've never worked with another teacher in this "team teaching" situation. It's going to be odd...and i know I'll have to tell him what to do...from what I've heard. Back in summer fun when I first had jr. leaders...that was bad. I'm not good at designating jobs and such. I'm afeared.

PLUS! I've been warned to keep them, especially the Pre-Alg students, busy with me teaching until the end of the period. This goes against most of my student teaching experience!

And to think, I mentally thought I was ready for the upcoming year...but now I'm not even sure about the next week. So much information to process and not enough time!

and my legs hurt.

Help!

the mom is driving me up the wall.

but i will refrain from bitching about it only because i've done enough of that all day. It really isn't healthy.

Thanks philling.

Today was really productive. I...

- mailed a package at the post office
- returned something at Daiei
- filled up gas
- got my safety check
- paid my cell bill
- went in to school to get my keys a day early
- went into my classroom and started assessing things
- arranged my desk area and student desks...temporarily maybe
- talked to my dept head.
- mailed a postcard
- got a slurpee...mmm

yay for feeling like I'm not entirely sloth-like. Tomorrow the real fun starts. The first day of work! aiyah!

Sometimes I think I bitch too much. Maybe I bitch too much, especially when I'm pretty happy in real life. I'm probably so boring to read these days that no one ever visits anymore. Kinda sad, but its okay. I used to think that I only did this so people would come, but i don't think like that anymore. In fact, I don't know what I think these days. I'm just like..."eh..." I almost feel as though my entire online presence is quickly fading away. But I doubt it will completely. Otherwise I'd have nothing else to do when I'm bored. I get bored often. When I wake up at 8 am every morning regardless of whether I want to or not. When I'm up at 11pm not wanting to go to sleep. I never want to go to sleep when I should. Even if I'm tired I don't sleep. Despite the fact that I think sleep is the greatest thing in the world, I often think its a waste of perfectly good time when I could be doing something else...like surfing the net? Uhh yeah. Dunno, I've just felt that way all my life mostly, mainly regarding naps though. Although, naps are indeed wonderful things sometimes. But I'd still be bored when I could've been sleeping. Go figure.

And so ends this strange flow of consciousness. I think i should go back to worrying about my $1000 credit card bill....I managed to rack it all up in a month's time. How's that for amazing. So goes my life. ;P

You know what's really annoying? When you're at Starbucks and two people are chatting up a storm at the table right next to you while you're trying to read. What makes it even worse is when the tables in that particular area are tight together so you're always afraid you're gonna kick the girl next to you as she keeps her legs crossed and over extended into your personal space. And what makes it all the more horrible, and here's the kicker, is when their conversation is in super hyper Japanese mode. aiyah. You'd think they would've left or at least stopped just one minute in the 3 hours I was there (who knows how long they were there before that) but nooooo. I finally left before my head imploded. I can only drown out and ignore those kinds of things for so long.

And what's up with one of the chicks leaving her stuff all over her table 4 feet away while she was talking with this girl at another table. She made everyone else scurry for empty tables outside. People like that irk. grrrr

I'm sorry, I always try to respect the dead but this is just stupid.

If your child is (i want to say stupid but instead I'll use) reckless enough to endanger his own life in a hazardous area, you obviously don't deserve any money or compensation. You should've taught him better. I mean, would anyone in their right mind straddle Old Faithful? Why should the Blowhole be any different? Just let the deceased rest in peace and stop waddling in your own misfortune dammit.

People are way too lawsuit happy these days and it drives me up the wall.

Its one thing to be too busy to get someone an anniversary gift. It's even oh-kay to maybe be too busy to get someone just an anniversary card. But it totally sucks ass to be too busy to even notice someone called and left a message on your cell...FIVE hours ago.

SUCKS ASS!

I'm starting to get a bit resentful. never a good thing. =/

10 years ago I...
- was 14 years old
- had bangs
- was getting ready for my freshman year of high school
- took ice skating lessons
- had the hugest crush on Gyorgy

5 years ago I...
- worked at McD's
- was starting to "date"
- owned a Plymouth Reliant
- attended UH
- grieved the loss of my haraboji

2 years ago I...
- lost one love but found another
- graduated from UH with a BA in Math
- moved to Berkeley
- found great friends
- learned not all roommates are created equal

1 year ago I...
- was 23 years old
- moved back home
- went back to UH for my teaching certificate
- missed a lot of my friends
- celebrated a milestone with G

Yesterday I...
- Took Tammy to the airport
- did massive amounts of laundry
- drank steamed milk w/ vanilla
- plucked my eyebrows
- kissed G

Today I...
- woke up at 8:30
- had a TB test
- read and studied @ Starbucks
- saw an old acquaintence but didn't say hi
- journalled

Tomorrow I will...
- read and study s'more
- start planning my units
- finish cleaning my room
- go out on a date with G
- stay out as late as possible

Was gonna blog it...but it got too long so I journalled it. woopie.

The vacation is over *sniff* Tammy left this morning. In fact, her plane should be disembarking from the terminal as we speak. I'll miss that little rugrat. After extended periods of time with certain people I always get really teary-eyed for the next few days, I hope this one abates quickly.

But now I'm left to do all my chores that I've neglected the last 2 weeks. I can't believe its been 2 weeks already! 2 weeks of sleeping on the floor and not my bed, 11 days since my birthday, and now no more trips out into the humidity and blaring sunshine (although my skin is probably jumping for joy. ugh, i'm so dark!). I just can't fathom how all this time managed to fly by me undetected. But gosh, I'll definitely miss our little "vacation."

Journal entry forthcoming i suppose... ;P

sooooo tired...ugh.

in other news...it's JC Chasez (of Nsync)'s 26th birthday today!

Apparently the best friend of tammy (the one who's here) got invited to his birthday party after meeting a group of guys and going to a party at a huge mansion that Hugh Hefner attended one day not too long ago. SOOOO LUCKY!! She invited Tams to go, but obviously she's here. Dude, I want to go!!!! *crawls into a corner and cries*

Not fair. ;P

Thank you to everyone who's wished me well on my bday. Sorry I have yet to write personal emails...things are quite hectic these days.

I'm almost the owner of a 2000 Corolla (yay!)...3K over my budget (boo!). I guess moving out has moved toward the bottom of the priority list. *sniff* And I still have to borrow some from G's dad, which I'm not too sure about so I must pay that off quickly. Hopefully I'll get to move by....December? *crossing fingers*

Will be on Maui Tues/Wed.
I hate worrying about money. And Tam's still gonna be here for another week. Great, but still, a bit nervous.

Oh, and dinner with friends was great. I need to make my birthday memorable every year. (i can't remember last year's at all!)

Again, thank you so much and hopefully i'll get those emails out soon.
Now off to dim sum...I'll be thinking about many people today. =)

So far:
Jumped off the rock at Waimea
Saw a sea turtle
Hiked and saw Manoa Falls
Hiked more and saw a trickle of a waterfall but also saw tons of mountain apple.
Saw durian trees (!!)
Swam at Waikiki beach (and got a bit burnt)

Upcoming:
Birthday dinner at Todai! (I've been waiting for this moment for months!)
Dragon Boat festival
Grad party
Iolani Palace
2 days on Maui! =)

vacationing is fun. ^___^

ugh. legs hurt. car trouble sucks ass. poor grant.

yay. its now officially my birthday day. Ack. i'm old. ;P

Have a nice friday everyone!!

2 more hours.

Its so damn humid this week. argh! Can't wait to hit the beach. =)